EU
to lift sanctions after referendum

Sanctions against the remaining firms and most of the112 individuals
on the European Union list will only be lifted once Zimbabwe holds a
referendum on a new constitution.

The EU said in a statement on
Monday that they had agreed to lift the sanctions once the country has held
‘a peaceful and credible’ vote on a new charter, whose draft was released by
COPAC last week.

The EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels also agreed
to resume direct aid to the inclusive government after a 10-year suspension.
The EU said the action they took was necessitated by what they called
‘constructive dialogue’ and political ‘progress.’

‘The EU agrees that
a peaceful and credible constitutional referendum would represent an
important milestone in the preparation of democratic elections that would
justify a suspension of the majority of all EU targeted restrictive measures
against individuals and entities,’ the EU foreign ministers said a
statement.

However sanctions against the ZANU PF leader Robert Mugabe
will remain in place and the former ruling party blasted the EU decision to
link the lifting of sanctions to a peaceful vote on a new
constitution.

Responding to the EU conditional lifting of sanctions,
party spokesman Rugare Gumbo told a news agency: ‘It’s all nonsense as the
decision makes no difference as we’ve never depended on the EU.’

‘We
depend on ourselves so their decision on sanctions makes no difference. It’s
all nonsense.

‘Why are they talking about a lifting of sanctions
dependent on the holding and outcome of a referendum? We don’t think that’s
the way to do it. We are saying all sanctions must go.’

Zimababwe
president Robert MugabeRobert Mugabe. The EU said there was no prospect of
lifting sanctions from Zimbabwe's president and his inner circle.
Photograph: Aaron Ufumeli/EPA

The European Union lifted curbs on aid to
Zimbabwe on Monday and held out the prospect of removing sanctions from
Zimbabwean officials to encourage political reform – though not from
President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle.

EU foreign ministers
meeting in Brussels lifted the aid restrictions with immediate effect but
said a broader relaxation of sanctions would depend on a referendum on
constitutional changes due this year in Zimbabwe being "peaceful and
credible".

The step is part of the strategy by western countries of
rewarding Zimbabwe's uneasy coalition government for progress made since a
disputed 2008 vote, while keeping up pressure on Mugabe to carry out more
political, economic and social reforms.

A spokesman for Mugabe's
Zanu-PF movement said the EU's decision proved his party's long-held view
that Zimbabwe was under economic sanctions, and that a case the southern
African country filed last month with the general court of the EU
challenging the sanctions was valid.

"We are happy on one hand that our
case is being validated, but we are unhappy on the other hand that they are
retaining some of the illegal, immoral and unjustified sanctions which are
based on falsehoods," spokesman Rugare Gumbo said.

Asked whether
Zanu-PF would implement more political reforms to get the remaining
restrictions removed, Gumbo said: "We want all these sanctions removed
because they are illegal, but we will never allow anyone to interfere in our
domestic affairs. If there are processes here, we do them for the good of
Zimbabwe, not to please foreigners."

Citing moves by Zimbabwe's
government of national unity to "improve the freedom and prosperity of the
Zimbabwean people", the EU ministers said Europe would end its ban on
sending development aid directly to the Harare government. The EU provides
about €100m (£78m) a year in aid to Zimbabwe through non-governmental
organisations. It will resume direct dealings with Harare under a new aid
agreement for developing countries due to start in 2014, the ministers said.
The change affects only EU aid, not money given directly by EU member
states.

Further easing of EU sanctions will depend on the holding of a
fair referendum on a new constitution, seen as a key precursor to an
election expected in 2013, the ministers said. The new constitution would
limit the power of the president and strengthen that of parliament.

A
"peaceful and credible constitutional referendum ... would justify a
suspension of the majority of all EU targeted restrictive measures against
individuals and entities", an EU statement said.

EU diplomats said
there was no immediate prospect of rescinding sanctions on Mugabe and his
inner circle.

Europe removed some Zimbabweans from its sanctions list in
February, but 112 people and 11 organisations remain affected by asset
freezes or travel bans.

Mugabe, 88, is one of Africa's longest-ruling
leaders and has been accused of hanging onto power through vote-rigging. He
has denied reports of ill health and says he is fit enough to contest the
next election.

Zimbabwe Zanu-PF EU
sanctions 'nonsense'

Zanu-PF has
dismissed as "nonsense" the EU decision to link the lifting of most
sanctions to a peaceful vote on a new Constitution.

"It's all
nonsense," Rugare Gumbo, spokesperson for the Zanu-PF, said.

"Why are
they talking about a lifting of sanctions dependent on the holding and
outcome of a referendum? We don't think that's the way to do it. We are
saying all sanctions must go."

Mugabe and other top party officials
routinely blame EU and US sanctions for undermining Zimbabwe's economy, but
Gumbo insisted on Monday that the measures have had little impact on the
country.

"We really have never depended on the EU," he said. "We depend
on ourselves so their decision on sanctions makes no difference."

EU
foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday agreed to lift most
sanctions against Zimbabwe firms and individuals once the country has held
"a peaceful and credible" vote on a new Constitution.

Welcoming
"constructive dialogue" and political "progress", they also agreed to resume
direct aid to Zimbabwe's government after a 10-year suspension.

The
sanctions would be lifted against most of the 112 Zimbabweans still under an
EU asset freeze and traval ban decided in 2002, once a referendum on a new
Constitution has been organised, probably at the end of the year. - Sapa-AFP

Britain
and EU to lift sanctions against Robert Mugabe's allies

Britain announced a
"step change" in its policy towards Zimbabwe, promising to exempt a raft of
President Robert Mugabe's allies from personal sanctions.

David
Blair

By David Blair, Chief Foreign Correspondent

4:56PM BST 23
Jul 2012

The measures, first imposed a decade ago, ban 112
individuals from visiting the European Union, while also freezing any assets
they hold in European banks. The targets include generals, cabinet
ministers, businessmen and officials, all of whom are blamed for
masterminding political violence, which has claimed hundreds of lives, or
looting Zimbabwe's shattered economy, which has impoverished
millions.

Most of the targeted individuals will be taken off the list
and, in principle, allowed to visit Britain and any other EU member
state.

A meeting of EU foreign ministers agreed to take this step
provided that Zimbabwe holds a "credible" referendum on a new constitution
later this year. The restrictions will be eased regardless of whether
Zimbabwe goes on to hold a free and fair presidential election in
2013.

Violence has scarred every poll in Zimbabwe for the last 12 years,
with militias from Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party hunting down his opponents. At
least 200 people were murdered before the last presidential election in
2008, with thousands more beaten, tortured or abducted.

The Foreign
Office said that sanctions could be reimposed if the bloodshed were to
recur. Mr Mugabe, 88, has promised to contest the next election after 32
years in power.

He currently appears as number one on the sanctions
list – and William Hague, the foreign secretary, made clear that he would
stay there. Sanctions on Mr Mugabe and a core of his closest aides will
remain in place despite Monday's decision. But more than half the names will
be dropped from the list.

Mr Hague said this was justified by
"concrete progress on the ground".

"We have made clear that we would
respond to a peaceful and credible referendum in Zimbabwe, due to take place
in the Autumn, with a suspension of the majority of EU Restrictive Measures,
but not including those on Mugabe," he said.

This amounted to an
"important step-change" in policy towards Zimbabwe, said the Foreign
Secretary, with the aim of encouraging "reformers across the political
spectrum".

President Mugabe has formed a coalition with Morgan
Tsvangirai, the former opposition leader who now serves as prime minister. A
new constitution has been agreed that should make a free and fair election
more likely.

But real power still lies in Mr Mugabe's hands and economic
recovery has been held back by his insistence on keeping a punitive law that
compels any company owned by foreigners or white Zimbabweans to surrender 51
per cent of its shares.

Although no restrictions apply to trade or
investment in Zimbabwe, Mr Mugabe has blamed sanctions for the country's
economic malaise. This propaganda line – however preposterous – has been
widely believed. Western diplomats in Harare believe that lifting the
restrictions would rob Mr Mugabe of his alibi.

These measures were
first imposed at the request of the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC), which helped compile the list of targeted
individuals.

Today, however, Mr Tsvangirai, the leader of the MDC,
wants them to be lifted.

Alex Vines, head of the Africa programme at
Chatham House, said the measures had "passed their sell-by date" and become
an "impediment to progress". He added that yesterday's decision struck the
right balance between rewarding progress and maintaining the pressure on Mr
Mugabe.

Some individuals have already been dropped from the sanctions
list, including Patrick Chinamasa, the Zanu-PF justice minister. He played a
key role in undermining the independence of the judiciary by personally
hounding Anthony Gubbay, then chief justice, into resignation.

UK
Tory gives 'cautious' welcome to EU move on Zimbabwe sanctions

By
Martin Banks - 23rd July 2012" The first test will be the elections that
follow"

Geoffrey Van Orden

Senior UK MEP Geoffrey Van Orden says
he is "cautiously optimistic" after the EU said it is to suspend most
sanctions against Zimbabwe once it has held a credible referendum on a new
constitution.

Though sanctions will remain against the country's
president Robert Mugabe, the move marks an "important milestone" towards
holding democratic elections, according to EU foreign ministers.

More
than 100 key individuals have been covered under an EU travel ban and assets
freeze imposed in 2002.

The sanctions were originally imposed a decade
ago in response to human rights abuses and political violence.

Mugabe
and his rival, prime minster Morgan Tsvangirai, have been sharing power
since disputed elections marred by violence in 2008

Reacting to the news
on Monday, Van Orden, an ECR member, said, "Just as in Burma we have
responded to a change of heart and real progress towards democratic change,
so we must now recognise the possibility of positive developments in
Zimbabwe.

"We have always said that restrictive measures, aimed solely at
a governing elite that has trampled on the people of Zimbabwe, could be
eased once there was serious change.

"There are indications that this
will now happen and we need to be prepared to move accordingly. If there is
any backward step then restrictive measures can be re-imposed and
intensified.

"The adoption of a new constitution is a first step. The
first test will be the elections that follow. The international community
will expect the electoral preparations and the elections themselves to be
carried out with scrupulous fairness, properly supervised to give
international assurance."

Van Orden, who has spearheaded parliamentary
calls for change in Zimbabwe, added, "I remain concerned that those with a
vested interest in the Mugabe regime and exploitation of Zimbabwe's
resources for their own benefit will try and ensure their continued grasp on
power.

"There is no reason why all those genuinely committed to the
future freedom and prosperity of the people of Zimbabwe, regardless of past
political links, should not now seize the opportunity to begin to bring
Zimbabwe back into the international community of democratic nations," said
the Conservative MEP."

CANBERRA, Australia - Zimbabwean Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai has told Australian political leaders that his African nation
is ready to shed its reputation as a pariah state and re-engage with the
world.

Tsvangirai said in a speech at Australia's
Parliament House on Monday that the government he has formed with long-term
President Robert Mugabe since 2009 is a step toward ending the "dark and
unfortunate history" of "political polarization" within his country.

He says with the international community's
assistance, "we should be able to rescue the country."

Australia imposed targeted sanctions against
Zimbabwe in a bid to pressure Mugabe to restore democracy and the rule of
law.

The Australian government eased some sanctions
in March, removing 82 regime loyalists from its financial and travel sanctions
list.

End sanctions, says
Zimbabwe PM

Australian sanctions against
Zimbabwe should be suspended, says the country's Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, and reimposed if free and fair elections are not conducted on
schedule.

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has
called for Australia to suspend crippling sanctions against his isolated nation
and to send the national team for a cricket tour - the first in more than eight
years.

Mr Tsvangirai told the National Times this
morning that the situation in Zimbabwe was ‘‘much better’’ than the general view
of a country in crisis, and the embargo on arms sales should be
suspended.

He said sanctions should be suspended even
though this would allow President Robert Mugabe to travel freely.

The democracy champion said the fragile
power-sharing deal — struck in 2009 after Mr Mugabe refused to surrender office
despite losing the popular vote — has worked to calm Zimbabwe. A move to suspend
sanctions would be a signal of faith in the reform efforts.

He said it was "regrettable" that Prime Minister Julia
Gillard had not taken up her invitation to a summit of African leaders this
month – but now was the time to engage with Zimbabwe.

"There was a time when any restrictive measures
was an incentive for good behaviour, but I think that we are past that. I think
we have gone beyond what they can contribute positively," Mr Tsvangirai
said.

He said fresh elections could be held within a
year and Australia should immediately suspend its sanctions, while leaving the
threat of sanctions in place, should the polls not run smoothly.

"Suspend these measures, but tie them to free
and fair elections," he said. "And, if the election is free and fair, fine ...
remove them permanently."

Mr Tsvangirai held talks with Ms Gillard in
Canberra this morning and had a meeting with AusAID chief Peter
Baxter.

Australia is one of the largest aid donors to
Zimbabwe, despite the heavy financial and travel restrictions on Mr Mugabe,
members of his family and supporters.

Mr Tsvangirai last visited Australia in 2007 –
only months after he was brutally bashed while meeting members of his Movement
for Democratic Change Party.

In 2008, he won a presidential ballot against Mr
Mugabe – but the 88-year-old who has ruled Zimbabwe for the three decades since
independence refused to step aside.

"We had a stalemate. I had the support of the
people, they had the guns," he said.

Asked if there were dangers in now lifting bans
on military exports to Zimbabwe, Mr Tsvangirai said the period of power-sharing
had helped calm political tensions.

"I think the transition has removed a lot of
barriers of suspicion, of polarisation. I think the country is moving towards
accepting ... even the military ... accepting the overall civilian authority as
the constitutional position. That way, it doesn't slide the country back again
into isolation. Even the military will benefit from a thriving
economy."

Mr Tsvangirai said Australia's mining expertise
was needed in Zimbabwe and business should again look at investment in his
country.

"The country has been isolated for the past 10
years. This is our attempt at re-engagement," he said.

"Africa is going through a very delicate
transition from the old Africa of dictators, of nationalisation and poverty. I
think it's going through a very optimistic time."

Mr Tsvangirai said Australia’s cricket squad
would be welcome in the country.

The Australia A team toured last year, but the
senior XI has not been since 2004.

Zimbabwe PM
goes in to bat for his country's future

THE Zimbabwean
Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, has called on Australia to end his
country's pariah status, suspend sanctions and send the national team for a
cricket tour - the first in more than eight years.

Mr Tsvangirai told the
Herald in Canberra yesterday the situation in Zimbabwe was ''much better''
than the commonly held view of a nation in crisis.

In talks with the
Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, he urged help in running fresh elections that
he hoped would be held within a year, possibly inside nine
months.

But he said international embargoes - including one on arms sales
- should be suspended as a sign of faith in the reform efforts, even though
this would allow freedom of travel for the President, Robert
Mugabe.Advertisement

''There was a time when any restrictive measures
[were] an incentive for good behaviour, but I think that we are past that. I
think we have gone beyond what they can contribute positively,'' Mr
Tsvangirai said.

The democracy champion said a fragile power-sharing deal
- struck in 2009 after Mr Mugabe refused to surrender office despite losing
the popular vote - had worked to calm Zimbabwe.

Britain has already
moved to lift sanctions and other European countries are to decide this week
if they will follow suit.

Mr Tsvangirai expects a new constitution to be
put to a referendum within two months and said Australia could immediately
suspend its sanctions but leave the threat of returning them, should polls
not run smoothly.

''Suspend these measures but tie them to free and fair
elections,'' he said. ''And, if the election is free and fair, fine … remove
them permanently.''

He said it was ''regrettable'' Ms Gillard had not
taken up an invitation she sought to a summit of African leaders this month,
but now was the time to engage with Zimbabwe.

Mr Tsvangirai last
visited Australia in 2007, just months after he was brutally bashed while
meeting activists of his Movement for Democratic Change party.

In
2008, he won a presidential ballot against Mr Mugabe, but the 88-year-old,
who has ruled Zimbabwe for more than three decades since independence,
refused to step down.

''We had a stalemate. I had the support of the
people, they had the guns,'' Mr Tsvangirai said.

After months of
stand-off, including threats to Mr Tsvangirai's life that forced him to seek
refuge in a foreign embassy in Harare, regional countries brokered a
power-sharing deal.

''My relationship with President Mugabe has evolved
from a very acrimonious relationship,'' he said. ''I have adopted a position
where confrontation with him in the same government is not going to be
helpful.''

Asked if there were dangers in lifting bans on military
exports to Zimbabwe, particular before the next election, Mr Tsvangirai said
the period of power-sharing had helped calm political tensions.

''The
transition has removed a lot of barriers of suspicion, of polarisation,'' he
said.

Even the military was closer to accepting civilian authority as the
constitutional position and realised it would also benefit from a thriving
economy, he said.

Zvimba
district becomes ‘no go’ area for MDC-T

Stung by significant inroads made by the MDC-T in Zvimba, gangs
of ZANU PF youths are turning Robert Mugabe’s home district into a no-go
zone.

For two weeks in a row elements in ZANU PF, aided by state security
agents and soldiers, have blocked the MDC-T from holding rallies in
Darwendale and Zvimba. On both occasions Tendai Biti, the Secretary-General
of the party, was scheduled to address the rallies.

While the rally
in Darwendale last week was disrupted by soldiers, Sunday’s planned
gathering was cancelled at the behest of Local Government Minister Ignatius
Chombo, according to the Zvimba Rural District Council acting chief
executive officer Prince Mhembere. Chombo is the ZANU PF MP for the
neighboring Zvimba North constituency.

Paradzai Herbert Munangatire,
the MDC-T information and publicity secretary for Zvimba West told SW Radio
Africa that they had secured police clearance to hold their rally at
Murombedzi growth point.

‘When we were in the middle of setting up the
venue, we sensed trouble was brewing when hordes of people just invaded the
pitch and started verbally abusing us and blocking our supporters from
coming in. Some youths started playing football and the area just became
very tense.

‘At some point we were pelted with stones and quite a number
of our supporters were injured, and the violence continued into the night
when one of our senior district officials was stabbed and left for dead,’
Munangatire said.

Munangatire added that Sunday was a sad day for
politics and democracy in Zimbabwe, especially as the disturbances took
place on Mugabe’s doorstep.

‘Everybody knows who is responsible for the
violence and grievous attacks on our members and no one will dare
investigate what happened because this is Mugabe’s home area.

‘I
think the resurgence of political violence is an attack on the country’s
fledgling democracy and the right of the people to civil liberty and freedom
of association,’ Munangatire said.

MDC-T
rally turns violent in Mugabe's rural home

Political violence breaks out
in Mugabe’s rural home area Eight MDC-T members were on Sunday injured, two
vehicles destroyed and23.07.1207:25amby Staff
Reporter

two party officials arrested by the police at a
political rally in Zvimba, President Robert Mugabe’s home
area.

According to an MDC-T statement, the political violence broke out
on Sunday morning at Murombedzi business centre, some 15km from Mugabe’s
rural homestead as party supporters waited for Tendai Biti, the Secretary
General, to address them Zanu (PF) supporters are being blamed for the
violence.

The MDC-T Mashonaland West Provincial Vice Youth Chairperson,
Maltin Mukusha, who was also attacked, said the Zanu (PF) activists provoked
them.

"When we got there in the morning, we found the Zanu PF youths
already playing soccer in the council ground. We informed the police about
this and they said we could still go ahead with our rally as scheduled, but
they (Zanu PF) brought netball courts and made a makeshift ground close to
where we were.

‘But we remained calm and continued to sing our songs.
Out of nowhere, the rowdy youth began to throw sand in the air and stones
began to rain on us. Our provincial vehicle was damaged and the district
chairperson's vehicle was not spared," said Mukusha.

Tawanda Bvumo,
the Provincial Treasurer, said the rally was cancelled following police
failure to intervene to quell the disturbances as Zanu (PF) supporters
invaded the rally venue.

"We had initially booked the council grounds but
the council refused us access, then we opted for the open space at the
growth point.

Apparently, Zanu (PF) youth today claimed to have booked
the ground for a sports tournament. The police then advised us to cancel our
own meeting after Zanu (PF) thugs attacked us," said Bvumo, according to the
statement.

Wilson Makanyaire, the Provincial Organising Secretay and
another MDC-T member identified as Sekuru Kwenda were arrested and taken to
the nearby Murombedzi Police Station.

‘‘Reports from Zvimba say they
are surrounded by Central Intelligence Officers who are questioning them
(over) why they are holding a rally in Zvimba,’’ said MDC-T.

Last
week, two other MDC rallies were cancelled after a Zanu PF attack, read the
statement, adding that Biti and other party members were attacked after
soldiers from a nearby barrack claimed they had a soccer match at Darwendale
ground.

‘‘In Mashonaland East, another rally in Mutoko East took
place amid intimidation by some misguided soldiers who went around the
village discouraging the people from attending. However, this did not work
as hundreds of villagers turned up for the MDC rally,’’ said the statement.

MDC condemns Zanu PF’s disruption of
rallies

The MDC condemns in the strongest terms the continued
barbaric and wanton disruption of its rallies which resulted in 11 MDC
members seeking medical attention after they were assaulted by rowdy Zanu PF
members at a sanctioned rally at Murombedzi growth point in Zvimba West,
Mashonaland West province yesterday.

Hon Tendai Biti, the MDC
Secretary General was expected to address hundreds of Party members who had
gathered for the event.

The violence resulted in 11 members seeking
urgent treatment in Chinhoyi while several Party vehicles were
damaged.

The MDC is concerned that known security agents led by one major
Mutimusakwa of the Zimbabwe National Army and Emmanuel Tandi, a Central
Intelligence Operative were leading Zanu PF thugs during the
disturbances.

Maggie Hoshiki, a Zanu PF councillor in the area was part
of the group of hooligans.When the Mashonaland West Provincial
Leadership approached the police seeking assistance, the police officers
where unco-operative saying they had instructions from the Zvimba Rural
District Council to bar the MDC rally.

To us, this is an indication that
some people are being allowed to act above the law and can override a lawful
decision made by the police.

These violent and unruly disruptions are an
unacceptable trend that must be stopped immediately. We are concerned that
these disturbances took place after soldiers from inkomo Barracks disrupted
another MDC rally in Darwendale where Hon Biti was expected to address last
weekend.

Yesterday’s disturbances in Zvimba West are an indication that
Zanu PF is running scared ahead of the next by-elections and national
elections, which the MDC will resoundingly win.

New Constitution will address discrepancies in the
electoral system

Masvingo - The new constitution will address social,
political and economic imbalances, notably the land reforms as well as key
policy issues in government, Copac co-chairperson Honourable Douglas
Mwonzora has said.

Honourable Mwonzora who is also the MDC spokesperson
told members of the civic society at the National Association of Non
Governmental Organisation offices here on Saturday that the new constitution
seeks to address political, economic and social anomalies ahead of the
watershed polls due next year. He added that the Second All Stakeholders
conference was scheduled for August while the referendum would be held in
October.

“The new constitution will address discrepancies in the
electoral system and this includes clearly defining the role of the police
force and the military. There is need to come up with sound government
policies and this can be achieved through the new constitution. All top
government officials must have limited terms of office, especially permanent
secretaries in various portfolios. The new constitution also proposes that
all elections will be held in the last month at the end of each five year
term. It is clear that securocrats are not above the law and traditional
leaders will be bound to carry out their duties in an objective manner,”
said Honourable Mwonzora.

Honourable Mwonzora said the new
constitution will also address the controversy surrounding the fast track
agrarian reforms.

“There is a lot of controversy surrounding the fast
track land reform programme but in the new constitution, it is clearly
defined that there shall be a land commission that will carry out a land
audit to ensure a transparent and equitable land distribution programme.
Such an exercise will be carried out without looking at one`s political
background. The land commission will ensure a one man, one farm policy
because the whole exercise seeks to ensure a fair land distribution,”
Honourable Mwonzora said.

“There will be 60 more parliamentary seats and
preference will be given to women and there shall also be a constitutional
court comprising 7 judges that are appointed by the people.

“The new
constitution will also guarantee devolution of power and there shall be a
provincial council that will be headed by the provincial governor. The
provincial council consists of members of the house of assembly, council
chairpersons and mayors from the involved political parties.

“The
governor will no longer be appointed by the executive since the party with
the majority votes in a particular province will automatically appoint a
governor,” he added.

On other reforms Hon Mwonzora said, “Citizenship
will be accorded by birth irrespective of whether one's parents are
aliens.

Speaking about capital punishment, he said: "There are incidents
that do not warrant a death penalty and there will be special consideration
to that effect.”

State
theft of land legalised in new constitution

The drafters of Zimbabwe’s new constitution are facing serious
criticism for signing off on a document that appears to legalise state
sanctioned theft of land, which could potentially lead to a fresh flurry of
land invasions.

The new document, which has taken over three years and
many millions of dollars to complete, is already being criticised as a
deeply flawed product of negotiation. Analysts from both sides of Zimbabwe’s
gaping political divide have criticised the proposed charter, while other
observers have said the MDC has “given in” to ZANU PF.

But one
element that is clearly in ZANU PF’s favour is the section on land.

The
draft document enshrines the right of the state to seize land, while also
guaranteeing land invaders the right to the properties they seize. The draft
states that all agricultural land, including forestry land, conservation
land and horticultural land, among others, may be “acquired” by the State
for “public purpose.” The takeovers will also be done without compensation
according to the new charter and compensation issues cannot be challenged in
the courts.

The draft also stipulates that legal challenges to the state
takeover of land may not be on the ground that it was
“discriminatory.”

The draft constitution also upholds the standards of
the old charter by insisting that Britain is responsible for compensation
for the land seized as part of the land grab. The draft states that “the
former colonial power has an obligation to pay compensation for agricultural
land,” and if this fails to happen “the Government of Zimbabwe has no
obligation.”

This provision flies in the face of a 2008 ruling in the
Southern African Human Rights Court, which ruled that the land grab was
unlawful. It ordered the then ZANU PF led government to compensate the
farmers who lost land, saying the land seizures were “inherently
discriminatory.”

Zimbabwe’s new charter however makes the legal provision
for this regional ruling to be ignored, and goes further to enshrine the
rights of current and future land invaders.

The document states that
anyone “using or occupying” property before the constitution comes into
effect, “continues to be entitled to use or occupy that land” when the
charter becomes effective.

Douglas Mwonzora, the MDC-T spokesman and key
party official heading the constitution rewriting exercise, told SW Radio
Africa on Monday that there are “difficulties” in the land clauses, arguing
that the product is one that had to be negotiated with ZANU PF.

But
he insisted that the provisions ensure that land acquisitions in the future,
when sanctioned by the state, will be done “legally,” because the state take
over of properties will be provided for in this new charter.

John
Worsley-Worswick from Justice for Agriculture (JAG) meanwhile said the
clauses on land are concerning “because there are few changes to the old
constitution.”

“We are alarmed,” Worsley-Worswick said, emphasising
the need for property rights to be secured for the future of Zimbabwe. He
also agreed that Zimbabwe was appearing to legitimise land seizures with
this document.

“For this country to move forward you need stability in
agriculture, because Zimbabwe is essentially an agriculture based economy.
But this constitution does not allow for any stability,” Worsley-Worswick
said.

Zim's draft constitution
'a flawed compromise'

Analysts
critical of Zimbabwe's draft constitution say it is a flawed collection of
compromises that is doomed to be "thrown away by future nations".

The
proposed document, which will be subject to a referendum, was crafted by
experts from the main political parties to a power-sharing government that
has been in place since a violence-marred 2008 election.

President
Robert Mugabe, in power for 32 years, was forced into the power-sharing deal
with arch rival Morgan Tsvangirai to avoid a descent into bloody
conflict.

The draft, finalised on Friday, curtails presidential powers
and limits terms to 10 years.

Under the draft plans there is,
however, no age limit for the president, meaning Mugabe could seek another
mandate under its terms.

Mugabe (88) is now trying to get out of the
power-sharing deal and has in recent months been pushing for new elections
without a new constitution.

A 'no' voteBut the Southern African
regional leaders who brokered the post-electoral peace deal appeared to have
impressed on him at a June summit that elections must take place under a new
constitution.

Lovemore Madhuku, a legal expert at the University of
Zimbabwe, sees the draft as an unsatisfactory compromise between negotiators
from the parties in the power-sharing government.

"It retains an
executive president. That's not what the people said during the outreach
programme. In fact, the people don't even know the meaning of some of the
things that are in the [Constitution] constitution," he said.

"From us
it's a clear 'No' vote."

Jonathan Moyo, a member of Parliament from
Mugabe's Zanu-PF, said the draft lacked legitimacy because the drafting
process by the political parties excluded other players.

The
government-owned Sunday Mail said that even if the draft sails through the
referendum, whenever that will be, the constitution "will most definitely be
challenged and thrown away by future generations".

The proposed document
also tackles social issues, allowing same-sex marriage while retaining
capital punishment, though not for women or anyone over 70 years
old.

It provides for citizenship by birth, descent or registration but
does not allow dual citizenship.

A blueprint for correctionThe
draft also provides for compensation for white farmers who were forced off
their land under Mugabe's controversial land reforms and protects the
property rights of the new farmers.

Nevanji Madanhire, editor of the
privately owned Standard newspaper, said: "The new constitution ... should
be a blueprint for the correction of all that has gone wrong with our
country ... But the amount of compromise the latest draft shows means the
country is ready to continue with the same."

Eric Matinenga, a minister
from the Movement for Democratic Change responsible for constitutional
affairs, told reporters on Friday: "We have had one president since 1980 and
it is the feeling of most people that this has been the biggest weakness of
the country."

He added: "The draft recognises that gone are the days when
governance was entrusted in the hand of the 'strong man'."

The draft
constitution provides for a vice-president to take over if the president
dies, resigns or becomes incapacitated.

This, according to some analysts,
deals with the succession battles in Zanu-PF and forces Mugabe to choose a
successor.

Fixed termsThe new rules would also require the head of
state to consult Parliament and the Cabinet on key appointments, alongside
fixing term limits for both the presidency and the executive, said
Matinenga.

It protects a serving president from prosecution, but the
immunity falls away when the head of state leaves office, another concern
for Mugabe.

The new document, which has been worked on for three years,
will be put to a public conference at the end of August and then to a
referendum at a date yet to be announced.

The constitution-making was
characterised by bickering including the disruption of the first
stakeholders' conference by militant supporters of Mugabe's party and the
death of a member of Tsvangirai's party during the outreach to gather
people's input into the charter.

European Union ministers, hoping to
encourage the reform process, are set to resume aid and suspend most of the
EU's sanctions against Zimbabwe once the referendum on the new Constitution
has been organised, diplomatic sources said.

They would however
maintain sanctions against a "small core" of people including Mugabe. The
ministers meet on Monday. – AFP

Tepid
welcome for draft Zimbabwean constitution

Zimbabwean lawmakers have just
finalized a new constitution, but analysts warn it is flawed. Meanwhile the
EU has made a conditional promise to lift most of the sanctions it imposed
on Zimbabwe.

The completion of the draft constitution is the first
concrete step towards new elections in Zimbabwe since President Robert
Mugabe was forced into a unity government with his rival Morgan Tsvangirai
in 2008.

The draft curtails presidential powers and imposes a two term
limit of 10 years. That limit would start with the adoption of the charter
so 88-year-old Mugabe could spend another decade in office, even though he
has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.

However
the draft would also strip the president of immunity from prosecution once
he leaves office, a major concern for Mugabe who could face charges over
human rights abuses.

Nevanji Madanhire, editor of the privately owned
Standard newspaper, says the new constitution was to have been a correction
of "all that has gone wrong with our country. But the amount of compromise
the latest draft shows means the country is ready to continue with the
same."

Despite long debate on allowing same-sex marriage and ending
capital punishment, the draft defines marriage as between a man and a woman
and upholds the death penalty, though not for women or anyone over the age
of 70.

It allows for citizenship by birth, descent or registration,
but does not permit dual citizenship.

Days of the "strong man" are
gone

The document also provides for compensation for white farmers who
were forced off their land under Mugabe's controversial land reforms and
also protects the property rights of new farmers.

Eric Matinenga, a
minister from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic
Change says the draft recognizes that the days are gone when governance was
entrusted in the hand of the "strong man."

But Lovemore Madhuku, a legal
expert from the University of Zimbabwe said the draft "retained an executive
president."

The draft does help clarify Zimbabwe's vague succession rules
in the event that a president resigns, dies or becomes incapacitated. Under
the new constitution, the first of the country's two vice presidents would
take over.Zimbabwe war veterans block white-owned in Centenary district,
north of Harare.

Three years of work have gone into the draft
constitution, which will be put to a public conference at the end of August
and to a referendum at a date which has yet to be announced.

DW's
correspondent in Harare, Columbus Mavhunga, says the draft constitution was
supposed to have been put to a referendum last July. "There are those who
argue," he says, "that only the views of the political parties were
considered when drafting the new constitution."

Lifting
sanctions

Meanwhile the European Union said on Monday a "peaceful and
credible" referendum on a new constitution would "justify" the lifting of EU
sanctions against Zimbabwe.

The conditional suspension of
sanctions was proposed by Britain, the former colonial power in what is now
Zimbabwe, and was described by British Foreign Secretary William Hague as
"an important step-change in the EU's approach to Zimbabwe."

A
statement from the 27 EU foreign ministers said individual sanctions against
most of the 112 Zimbabweans, listed in an asset freeze and travel ban, would
be lifted. But an EU official told AFP there was no question of lifting
sanctions against "Mugabe or anyone involved in continued abused of human
rights."

EU ministers also agreed in principle to resume direct aid to
Zimbabwe's government after a ten year suspension.Zimbabwe Primer
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai

In Harare, a spokesman for Mugabe's
ZANU-PF party said of the Brussels decision. "We don't think that's the way
to do it. We are saying all sanctions should go."

On a visit to
Australia, prime minister Tsvangirai said Zimbabwe was ready to re-engage
with the global community after "a very dark and unfortunate history."

Farm
and conservancy both under threat by land invaders

Two properties in Zimbabwe are facing a take over
threat by land invaders, as concern continues to rise about the future of
property rights in the country.

Ruware Ranch, in the Chiredzi River
Conservancy, was invaded last Friday by a group of people armed with axes,
who started clearing the land that was allegedly demarcated by the Land
Ministry in January. The invasion comes a month after hundreds of ZANU PF
supporters, accompanied by Lands Ministry officials, invaded the property
and insisted it was promised to them 12 years ago.

The invasion
leaves thousands of animals at risk with 26 different species inhabiting the
property. Already wildlife in the Chiredzi River Conservancy has been
targeted by human encroachers on the land, due to the onslaught of illegal
settlers who have been invading other parts of the Conservancy. They have
been attempting to clear the land for crops, resulting in widespread
destruction and hundreds of thousands of animals being killed.

The
destruction has also been raised as a key point of concern in parliament,
with warnings about how these ongoing invasions were set to affect
Zimbabwe’s remaining protected areas. A report by a Parliamentary Committee
on Natural Resources earlier this year identified top military and ZANU PF
figures as the individuals behind the invasion of conservancies.

But no
attention has been paid to these warnings and land continues to be
seized.

The invasion at Ruware also comes as Matabeleland South
farmer Dudley Rogers has been threatened with eviction, allegedly for
allowing an MDC rally to take place near his property.

According to
the Daily News newspaper the MDC-T’s Matabeleland

South provincial
chairperson, Watchy Sibanda, said two former police officerswanted to
take over Rodgers’ farm.

“We had our provincial rally about a month ago
at an open space adjacent toRodgers’ Olympus farm and since then all has not
been well there. Two formerpolice officers, Muhoni and Gono, have already
visited the farm several timesclaiming they are new owners. They also
claim to have offer letters from theministry of lands but we wonder if those
letters are genuine,” said Sibanda.

“We know ZANU PF is behind all this
because they have been accusing Rodgersof sponsoring our party,” said
Sibanda.

ZANU
PF thugs fight for control of commuter bus ranks

A struggle to take over the illegal
business of controlling Harare’s commuter omnibus ranks has intensified
divisions among ZANU PF youth. This follows reports that an official from
the Urban Transport Association of Zimbabwe (UTAZ) was abducted at gunpoint
and assaulted.

What is at stake is an estimated $1.2 million a month that
ZANU PF youth collect illegally from over 8,000 commuter omnibuses operating
in the capital. According to the NewsDay newspaper, the youths grabbed
control of the bus ranks two years ago and force conductors to pay $5 per
day to ply their routes.

The report quotes sources who said UTAZ
chairman Wilbert Zhakata was kidnapped at gunpoint and heavily assaulted
twice in July, losing three teeth. They claimed Zhakata had demanded that
the youth account for the daily fees they collect, which are split among
ZANU PF members in the UTAZ.

The car used to abduct Zhakata is said to
belong to the UTAZ provincial chairman, Fanuel Deera Mutasa, who was quoted
as saying: “There was nothing new in collecting money and maintaining order
at ranks”.

Zhakata’s home and his omnibus parked there were also attacked
in the same week.

NewsDay said their investigations revealed that the
UTAZ is not registered legally as a private company with the Registry of
Companies.

Political and economic analyst Bekithemba Mhlanga said this is
the kind of lawlessness that pervades in a society when young thugs are
given total authority to operate with impunity. “They start to feed on
themselves and in the long run the innocent bystanders, the passengers
suffer,” he added.

Mhlanga explained that the MDC-T went into the
coalition government with noble intentions of making sure that the economy
was run properly. “But over the three years they unfortunately failed to put
systems in place for the monitoring of remittances to the treasury,” the
analyst said.

As reported earlier on SW Radio Africa, ZANU PF thugs also
force vendors at council-owned flea markets to pay daily fees in order to
sell their goods. The money is not remitted to council but is divided among
the youth. Top party officials who profit from this illegal trade, tell
police not to interfere.

According to Mhlanga, the behavior of the
ZANU PF youths operating in Harare is similar to that of senior officials
within government who are benefiting illegally from the sale of diamonds,
without remitting the funds to government.

Police
criticised for quickly licensing Biti protest

The police have been strongly criticised
for speedily licensing planned demonstrations by civil servants against
Finance Minister Tendai Biti, who is being accused of refusing to increase
their wages.

The umbrella union for civil servants, the Apex Council,
resolved last week to demonstrate on Tuesday over the lack of wage increases
that civil servants have been demanding. Biti has been portrayed by ZANU PF
as the one responsible for their plight.

The Finance Minister has
however insisted government has no money for more wages, blaming the fact
that diamond and other revenue due to government is not being remitted to
national coffers.

The MDC-N led by Welshman Ncube has come to Biti’s
defense, saying the speedy clearance of the protests by the police further
exposes their partisan bias.

MDC-N spokesperson Kurauone Chihwayi
reportedly said the speed with which police acted “raised suspicion” that
the police “want to expose Biti as an individual”.

Activists
in hiding after CIOs disrupt peace workshop

Officials from the Centre for Community
Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ), whose peace-building workshop in Gokwe was
disrupted by suspected state agents and ZANU PF thugs last week, are
reported to have gone into hiding fearing for their lives.

The
cancelled workshop was at Nyamhara Primary School in a rural district of
Gokwe. The CCDZ said it was part of their initiative to penetrate districts
that were previously declared “no-go” areas for charity groups by ZANU PF.
The headmaster and teachers at the school have also been harassed for
allowing the workshop at their premises.

A statement from the CCDZ
said a dozen officials had fled from the area because agents from the
Central Intelligence Organization (CIOs) were harassing them and local
residents who had participated in the workshop. The CIOs are reported to be
driving unmarked vehicles.

One official is quoted as saying: “They came
during the night and harassed our families. If they are genuine police
officers why are they visiting our homes during the night under the cover of
darkness?”

The suspected CIOs who disrupted last week’s workshop accused
the CCDZ of being “a regime-change NGO” as they ordered participants to
return to their homes. They then interrogated the staff, demanding
information that included their addresses and national identity registration
numbers.

Last week CCDZ director Phillip Pasirayi told SW Radio Africa
that CIOs collect this information in order to use it in the future to track
down activists and harass them. The reported attacks at night appear to
confirm this.

The CCDZ said the matter has been referred to the
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

Zanu
(PF) threatens to expel Mnangagwa

HARARE – In a direct threat aimed at Defence Minister
Emmerson Mnangagwa Zanu-PF’s Secretary for Administration, Didymus Mutasa
has warned the hugely ambitious party’s Secretary for Legal Affairs that he
could be expelled from the party like what happened to some senior party
members in the past.

Mutasa said in Harare this afternoon, the party
expelled its first founding president Ndabaningi Sithole and former
secretary general Edgar Tekere for failing to adhere to party principles and
dictates.

The embattled defence Minister in a tricky catch 22 situation
over how to respond to the apparent attack on his perceived presidential
ambition, which rightly or wrongly led to the controversial disbandment of
District Coordinating Committees (DCCs) that had become the latest
battlefront for party heavyweights jostling to succeed President Robert
Mugabe.

The emissaries of the Zanu PF Presidium and Central Committee to
all the party provinces in the country ended their briefing in Harare on
Monday when they explained the disbandment of the District Coordinating
Committees (DCCs) from the party structure.

He said the party expelled its first founding president
Ndabaningi Sithole and former secretary general Edgar Tekere for failing to
adhere to party principles and dictates.

Mutasa endorsed the
leadership of Jabulani Sibanda as the leader of the war veterans, a move
that was underscored by Webster Shamu.

Before the decision to terminate
the DCCs which were ironically the brainchild of former defence minister,
Moven Mahachi (now late) and Didymus Mutasa, the ZANU-PF secretary for
administration, protégés and close associates of Mnang-angwa had made a
clean sweep of the 13-member committees in most provinces where elections
had been held, notably in Midlands, Mani-caland, Masvingo and even in the
Mashon-aland provinces where his rival enjoys support.

Mnangagwa’s
protégés also had an upper hand in President Mugabe’s home province of
Mashonaland West, where the provincial chairperson, John Mafa was being
subjected to pressure because of his political leanings to Ngwena, as the
Defence Minister is affectionately known because of his complex
character.

Impeccable sources said Mna-ngagwa is now under pressure
from his lieutenants to at least do something to salvage his and their
political careers.

They claim that after the Tsholotsho debacle in
2004, where the minister was said to have been their preferred beneficiary
had the plan to parachute him into the presidium succeeded, most of those in
the rank and file of his so-called faction were left to lick their wounds as
the President yielded the axe on them.

The Tsholotsho plan incensed
the top leadership of ZANU-PF resulting in the suspension of six provincial
chairpersons who had clandestinely nominated a new leadership for the
endorsement of the 2004 congress whereby Mnang-agwa, who had no fingerprint
linking him to the plan, was to succeed the late vice president, Simon
Muzenda.

Inside sources say due to fears of a repeat of the 2004
Tsholotsho debacle, Mnangagwa’s lieutenants want him to respond decisively.
They say the manner in which the issue of scrapping DCCs was brought about
at the Politburo and eventually at the Central Committee was not procedural.
More so, they claim that the scrapping of DCCs itself was
unconstitutional.

But the Defence Minister is said to be pondering his
next move as acting or not acting has grave consequences. The same sources
say he is caught between a rock and a hard place.

For starters, if he
acts, he will be moving against the orders of the President although he will
gain marks in the court of public opinion for defending internal democracy
in ZANU-PF. That in itself is considered political suicide in the
party.

But if he does not act, he will have angered a constituency that
has stood by him in ensuring that he stands a good chance of succeeding
President Mugabe should the veteran leader decide to exit
office.

Also, he faces the humiliation of being eliminated from the
presidential race in which he has been a front-runner along with his
nemesis, Vice President Joice Mujuru. Added to that, there is an unhappy
section in the security sector that has supported him and pushed for his
eventual takeover of the highest office in the land.

All these people
say that because Mnangagwa’s lieutenants were in control of the levers of
power in the DCCs, this had presented a huge threat to Vice President Mujuru
who then managed to pull the rug under Mnangagwa’s feet.

The decision to
do away with the grassroots structures was made in Mnangagwa’s absence, as
he was reportedly on a working visit in China. Sources said Mnangagwa’s
rivals in the highest decision-making body of the party took advantage of
his absence.

It is believed the Defence Minister was not consulted and
had no input in the decision to scrap the DCCs. His close aides say this
situation was “totally unacceptable”.

But inside sources say the
Politburo claimed it had evidence money was used to “impose” candidates on
the electorate during the DCC elections. Yet critics of the decision argue
that most senior members of the party were also guilty of using cash and
influence to sway voters in breach of rules passed at the Bulawayo
conference last December.

An attempt to speak to the Defence Minister
through his mobile phone was fruitless as he did not answer calls placed to
him.

Political analyst, Dewa Mavh-inga, said it was high time the Mujuru
and Mnangagwa factions unite to enable President Mugabe to deal with his
succession.“It is high time Mnangagwa throws his weight behind Joice
Mujuru to support her candidature — so that when the two main factions in
ZANU-PF unite, they will be able to force President Mugabe to deal with the
succession issue without playing the factions against each other,” said
Mavhinga.

The DCC elections had become the battleground for ZANU-PF
factions tussling for control of strategic party structures in the battle to
eventually produce a successor to President Mugabe.

Infighting rocked
DCC elections in Masvingo, Manicaland, Mash-onaland East, Bulawayo and
Matabeleland North and South provinces, as the factions led by Vice
President Mujuru and Mnan-gagwa fought for control of the provinces.

The
divisions, which had torn the party apart were complicated by the emergence
of two strong security establishment-based groups rooting for President
Mugabe to stay on while another was pushing for Mnangagwa to eventually
succeed the President.

Internal strife has been so pronounced that it
forced President Mugabe to publicly denounce factions and their leaders,
saying they were destroying the party.

Mnangagwa had for a long time
been seen as the blue-eyed boy of the President. But his fortunes had dipped
in 2004 as he was seen as the leader of the Tsholotsho fiasco.

Political
parties funding: Mutambara left in the cold

DEPUTY Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara’s woes
continue to mount as his political party MDC-M has failed to access State
funds under the Political Parties Finance Act. Government has disbursed
money earmarked for political parties to the Welshman Ncube-led MDC
formation leaving the other faction in the cold.

Professor
Mutambara had made frantic efforts to secure the money.

He reportedly
wrote two letters to Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa
arguing that they were entitled to the money.

Zanu-PF and the MDC
formations were allocated US$8 million in the 2012 national budget to be
shared proportionately according to the number of legislators each political
party has in Parliament.

Government introduced funding after outlawing
foreign funding of political parties.

This was after it emerged that
the MDC was receiving funding from outside, particularly from those
countries hostile to Zimbabwe.

Minister Chinamasa confirmed the
development yesterday saying he was guided by the enabling legal
statutes.

“The Act provides that I should deal with secretaries-general
or secretary for administration (with respect to Zanu-PF).

“We have
therefore disbursed money to Welshman Ncube in the same account that we have
deposited,” he said.

Minister Chinamasa said: “Until there is a court
order to the contrary, we will continue disbursing the funds in that
manner.”

Prof Ncube, who is also Industry and Commerce minister, was Prof
Mutambara’s secretary-general before ousting his leader.

He was
elected president at the MDC congress held in 2010.

However, a section
led by former national chairman Mr Joubert Mudzumwe has been challenging
Prof Ncube’s election in the courts.

The faction’s secretary-general Mr
Maxwell Zimuto yesterday insisted that they were entitled to a share of the
money.

“Our argument is based on the premise that we have some MPs who
have expressed allegiance to us in writing.

“No one can just dismiss
us because we are a legitimate party entitled to anything that the MDC-M
must get as a party that signed the Global Political Agreement,” he
said.

He, however, could not name the legislators aligned to the
faction.

Mr Zimuto acknowledged writing to Minister Chinamasa.

“I
have written letters to the minister twice and he has not responded.

“He
has probably decided that we are not a party but at least he should have
responded to our letters.”

The High Court has since upheld the
contention by Prof Ncube but Prof Mutambara has lodged an appeal against the
ruling in the Supreme Court.

Mugabe
quarrels with neighbours

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe and the First Family are embroiled in a
dispute with the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church over the construction of
a church building on land located eight stands away from the Mugabes’
private residence along Borrowdale Brooke road.

Stand
280 Borrowdale Brooke Road was bought by the Borrowdale SDA church years
ago, but it has since been barred from building by Mugabe’s security details
who say the structure would compromise the First Family’s
security.

Consequently, members of the Borrowdale SDA congregation of
the church’s Glenara North district continue to conduct their worship
services at the Borrowdale Community Hall, for which they pay, whilst their
stand lies idle. A senior official from the East Zimbabwe Conference, the
church’s administrative body in Harare, confirmed to the Zimbabwe
Independent that the church owned the Borrowdale stand, but declined to
divulge why construction was yet to start.

“The conference is not
involved in the construction of churches,” said the official speaking on
condition of anonymity. “Congregants build their own churches and the
conference only keeps individual churches’ title deeds. Borrowdale church
has not raised the issue with us but I can tell you that we value the
security of individual church members.”

However, a church member
familiar with the on-going wrangle said the president’s security guards
warned the church against any construction on the stand, saying it posed a
great risk to Mugabe. He said while he was not sure when the church was
barred from developing the stand, he had learnt of the order when he joined
the congregation in 2010.

“We were warned not to build the church
here because the stand is located in a high security zone and special
clearance is needed for any form of development to take place,” said another
church member.

“They (Mugabe’s security guards) said the congregation
would make a lot of noise which would attract many people and compromise
safety and security of the president. They keep telling us that the laws are
likely to change after elections to allow us to build, but we have reached a
point where we might be forced to sell the stand because it’s of no use to
us idle.”Surprisingly, while the Borrowdale SDA church has been barred from
building, construction of a private secondary school is in progress just
three stands away.

Borrowdale Brooke Academy, owned by Ian
Henney, currently has one double-storey building, and construction was in
progress when the Independent visited the school last week. Classes were in
session and enrolment was also in
progress.

Presidential spokesman George Charamba was
adamant that Mugabe’s security guards were within the law to stop
construction of any structure close to his residence.“The president’s
residence, whether State House, in Zvimba or Borrowdale remains a security
issue,” said Charamba.

“There is no way structures can be constructed
willy-nilly around such designated areas, and there is nothing like private
property because this is the Head of State and we cannot compromise his
security.”

On why the school is being built in the “designated area”,
Charamba said the criteria used to vet construction of structures did give
room for a school after considering security issues.

Divisions
widen over politburo decision

DIVISIONS and bitterness are
simmering in the faction-riddled Zanu PF over the controversial dissolution
of district coordinating committees (DCCs), with senior party officials and
their allies in lower structures seething with anger over the unilateral
politburo decision.The Zanu PF politburo, an administrative organ of the
central committee, recently resolved without consultation to disband the
DCCs and then imposed the resolution on the central committee, the party’s
decision-making body in between congresses, before sending out senior
officials to explain its contentious move.Contrary to state media
reports all provinces and other structures had welcomed the party’s
contested resolution to disband DCCs, Zanu PF insiders told the Zimbabwe
Independent this week the dissolution of DCCs is fuelling internal strife,
already intense due to President Robert Mugabe’s raging succession
battle.The conflict over DCCs is centred on succession now threatening to
further divide and tear Zanu PF apart.The decision to disband the DCCs
is widely seen as a move by the faction aligned to Vice-President Joice
Mujuru and a cabal of politburo hardliners and state security service chiefs
who wanted to contain the camp led by Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa,
the party’s legal affairs secretary, which had prevailed during recent
acrimonious DCC elections that left in their wake a trail of disputes and
protests.The group aligned to Mnangagwa believes the move was yet another
calculated ploy to block – by manipulating the constitution — its leader
from consolidating his position to take over if Mugabe either retires or is
incapacitated due to ill-health or old age.Insiders say the disbanding
of DCCs sent out political shockwaves and a sense of deja vu to the
Mnangagwa faction.In 2004, Zanu PF amended its constitution to stipulate
that one of the vice-presidents had to be a woman after it became clear
Mnangagwa was on an irresistible ascendancy to become vice-president
following his faction’s seizure of seven of the 10 provinces. The move at
the stroke of a pen helped Mujuru to become one of the co-vice-presidents
with the late Joseph Msika at Mnangagwa’s expense.After working hard to
regain lost ground following setbacks during the 2004 and 2009 congresses,
Mnangagwa again now finds himself thwarted through another constitutional
amendment — this time dissolving DCCs, his new springboard to
power.“While Mnangagwa and his allies mourn the DCCs dissolution, his rivals
— without even consulting him as legal affairs secretary — are moving fast
to overhaul some clauses in the constitution to deal with the issue of
senior officials manipulating structures to secure positions, while
sidelining party members who have a constitutional right to elect leaders or
be elected to office,” a senior Zanu PF official said.“We must defend
our constitution by restoring power to the people (members of the party)
which had been usurped by structures, including the DCCs. We want a model
like that of ANC of South Africa which ensures the grassroots, not higher
level structures alone, vote at the party congress.”According to the ANC
constitution, “At least 90% of voting delegates at the conference shall be
from branches, represented by elected delegates. The number of delegates
shall be in proportion to the paid up members”.The remaining 10% are
allocated by the National Executive Council from among the provincial
executive committees, the Youth League and Women’s League.Some senior Zanu
PF officials who have openly defended DCCs dissolution reportedly want the
grassroots to be involved in the elections, not nominations, of the
presidium — namely the president, two deputies and chairperson — at a
congress.Party officials say this would deal with contradictions in the
party constitution in which members’ rights to elect leaders are taken away
by higher structures. For instance, although the Zanu PF constitution under
the rights of members allows party members to vote to any office leaders of
their choice, higher structures like provincial coordinating council (PCC),
which should act as the elections directorate — not the electorate — of the
province, end up choosing leaders themselves. Article 7.32 (i) of the party
constitution says the top four positions are elected by “congress directly
upon nomination by at least six PCCs”, something which appears to take away
the voting rights of the grassroots who vote by acclamation, applause or
cheering.The PCCs are made up of 44 members of the provincial executive
councils, members of the central committee and national consultative
assembly in the provinces, chairpersons of DCCs and 68 members of the
provincial executive committee of the Women and Youth Leagues.Officials
say this approach was promoting the imposition of leaders and decisions on
the people. The disbanding of DCCs, for example, was unilaterally made by
the politburo and foisted on the central committee, which is supposed to be
the supreme decision-making body outside a congress.According to the party
constitution, the politburo is the executive committee of the central
committee. It acts as the administrative organ it and is answerable to the
central committee on all matters, not the other way round.A high-powered
delegation led by the party’s secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa
which is out there struggling to explain the disbanding of DCCs has met with
hostility. Mutasa, who was accompanied by the party’s national commissar
Webster Shamu, war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda, and Zanu PF spokesman
Rugare Gumbo, this week embarked on a whirlwind tour of provinces, starting
with Midlands on Monday where DCC members aligned to Mnangagwa queried and
protested the decision to abolish their posts.On Tuesday and Wednesday,
Mutasa’s delegation visited Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland
South provinces where party officials expressed anger over the DCCs
dispute.“I brought you a message from the senior party leadership that the
DCC structure has been removed from our constitution. The central committee
has already endorsed the decision and President Robert Mugabe has tasked us
to go to the provinces and explain the decision,” Mutasa has been telling
party members.Insiders told the Independent the meetings have been
tense, with officials expressing fury at the DCCs disbanding. In Midlands,
Zanu PF chief whip Jorum Gumbo, a Mnangagwa ally, described the DCCs
dissolution as “painful and unceremonious”, showing the issue has left
behind more divisions and acrimony.